Cosmetic Dentistry | Longleaf Dental Center for Oral Health, Implant and Aesthetic Dentistry

Zoom!® Whitening
Your smile is important. It's one of the first things you notice when you meet someone. A whiter, brighter smile is beautiful - it can help you feel better about yourself and make a memorable impression.

Your lifestyle and the aging process can stain and darken your teeth. Many things we do on a regular basis can contribute to stained teeth, such as drinking coffee, tea, cola and red wine or smoking.

Whitening can get your smile looking its best. Non-professional procedures and clinically unproven teeth whitening tips can often lead to unsatisfactory results, you should look for a whitening procedure that is:

Fast and convenient
Long lasting
Low sensitivity
Proven to be safe and effective
Performed by a Dental Professional

Veneers
Veneers are ultra-thin, custom-made porcelain facings that the doctor affixes to your teeth in a simple, comfortable procedure that requires just a few appointments. You can whiten your teeth, close spaces, and create a great smile easily and affordably. Veneers, which normally require a slight reduction of enamel, are bonded to the tooth to assure a permanent fix. For decades dentists have been using materials which can create a durable bond to tooth enamel. The porcelain veneer technique utilizes these bonding materials to securely attach a thin sheet of porcelain to a damaged tooth. Although porcelain is inherently brittle, when it is firmly bonded to a tooth, it becomes very strong and durable. Porcelain replaces the worn or damaged tooth enamel, and the veneer is chemically bonded for strength and durability. Porcelain veneers are aesthetically pleasing, natural looking and durable

Cosmetic Bonding

Dental bonding is a procedure in which a tooth-colored resin material (a durable plastic material) is applied and hardened with a special light, which ultimately "bonds" the material to the tooth to restore or improve person's smile.
Dental bonding is an option that can be considered:

To repair decayed teeth (composite resins are used to fill cavities)
To repair chipped or cracked teeth
To improve the appearance of discolored teeth
To close spaces between teeth
To make teeth look longer
To change the shape of teeth
As a cosmetic alternative to amalgam fillings
To protect a portion of the tooth's root that has been exposed when gums recede.

Advantages: Bonding is among the easiest and least expensive of cosmetic dental procedures. Unlike veneers and crowns, which are customized tooth coverings that must be manufactured in a laboratory, bonding usually can be done in one office visit unless several teeth are involved. Another advantage, compared with veneers and crowns, is that the least amount of tooth enamel is removed. Also, unless dental bonding is being performed to fill a cavity, anesthesia is usually not required.

Disadvantages: Although the material used in dental bonding is somewhat stain resistant, it does not resist stains as well as crowns. Another disadvantage is that the bonding materials do not last as long nor are as strong as other restorative procedures, such as crowns and veneers. Additionally, bonding materials can chip and break off the tooth.

White Fillings (Composites)
There's no reason to endure unsightly silver amalgam fillings anymore. Now you can choose modern tooth-colored fillings. Our dental practice proudly offers this popular option in tooth restoration so you can smile and laugh with confidence.

Tooth-colored fillings look and function just like your own teeth. Their color can be matched identically to that of your natural teeth, so no one but you will ever know a filling exists.